Washington: US president Barack Obama showed his emotional side when he broke into tears while thanking his campaign volunteers for the work they did to achieve his goal of hope and change.

Obama's campaign team distributed a YouTube video of the president's emotional tribute to his team at his Chicago headquarters the day before, hours after he won re-election to a second term.

"Wherever you guys end up, in whatever states, in whatever capacities, whether you're in the private sector or the not-for-profit, or some of you decide to go into the public service... you're just going to do great things! And that's why, even before last night's results, I felt that the work that I had done in running for office had come full circle..." Obama said as he is seen into tears.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email to supporters that the president was not just talking to campaign workers in the office, but to all the thousands of volunteers who built his huge grassroots movement.

As Obama is seen in tears, starting to stammer and lose himself, one can hear his top advisor David Axelrod saying in the background saying, "Barack, calm down."

Obama took a moment to collect himself.

"Because what you guys have done means the work that I'm doing is important, and I'm really proud of all of that. I'm really proud of all of you," he said.

Obama began his brief speech sharing his experience when he moved to Chicago, from Hawaii.

"What Bobby Kennedy called the 'ripples of hope' that come out when you throw a stone in a lake, that's going to be you," he said, putting a finger to his right eye, as he became emotional.